The California State Conference of the NAACP has issued the following statement in response to the alleged remarks by Clippers owner Donald Sterling:

From Alice Huffman, President of the NAACP California State Conference:

“If these allegations are proven true, we are extremely disappointed in Mr. Sterling,” stated Alice Huffman, President of the NAACP California State Conference. “Recent remarks like these, and those of Cliven Bundy, remind us that racism is not a footnote of our past, but a reality of our present that we must confront head on.”

Huffman continued, “For 105 years, the NAACP has fought against the culture bigotry that leads to the comments like those we heard on the recording, and as public response to these remarks has shown, we have made significant progress.

“As the investigation is in progress, we urge the LA Branch of the NAACP to withdraw Donald Sterling from the honoree list at its upcoming Gala. We also suggest that African Americans and Latinos should honor his request and not attend the games.

“If true, these are very hurtful remarks and Mr. Sterling, whose team talents and fan base is majority minority, should offer an apology to Californians.

“At the conclusion of the investigation into the alleged comments, if true, we seek further redress from Mr. Sterling.”